Tsarnaev Indicted on Federal Charges, Could Face Death Penalty
Dzhokar Tsarnaev, one of the men who allegedly killed four people and injured hundreds of others in the Boston marathon bombing and the days afterward, was indicted on 30 federal charges, including conspiracy to use weapon of mass destruction to cause deat South End Patch News
Tsarnaev Indicted on Federal Charges, Could Face Death Penalty
Dzhokar Tsarnaev, one of the men who allegedly killed four people and injured hundreds of others in the Boston marathon bombing and the days afterward, was indicted on 30 federal charges, including conspiracy to use weapon of mass destruction to cause deat South End Patch News
Tsarnaev Indicted on Federal Charges, Could Face Death Penalty
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the men who allegedly killed four people and injured hundreds of others in the Boston marathon bombing and the days afterward, was indicted on 30 federal charges, including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, and he cou South End Patch News
Local Veterans Face Long Waits for VA Benefits
Returning veterans are now facing a new enemy at home—long wait times for their disability claims. The waiting times started increasing in 2010 when U.S. troops were withdrawn from Iraq causing a dramatic uptick in first-time filers, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting. The data found that in most regional VA offices, not only did waiting times increase, but they vary dramatically with location: about 508 days in Baltimore, Maryland and 134 days in Fargo, North Dakota. The national average now stands at about 11 months, which is dramatically higher than in 2009 when it was 116 days. Claims sent to the VA’s Boston office take on average 411.6 days to process a disability claim. That’s more than 13 months before the average claimant gets a decision. The backlog has also partly been blamed on the VA still using paper to process their claims. In 2011, the Department started implementing a computerized system in several of its regional offices. However, despite spending $ 537 million on the new program and employing 3,300 claims processors, 97 percent of veterans’ claims are still on paper. Still, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki pledged back in March that the VA will end the enormous backlog by 2015. While Memorial Day, which is celebrated this Monday, is officially a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, in practice it’s often a day to recognize living veterans locally. The data above was obtained by The Center for Investigative Reporting from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and is updated weekly. South End Patch
Lee and Linehan Will Face Off for South End City Council District
It’s official: As of Tuesday’s deadline for signatures, candidates Suzanne Lee and incumbent Bill Linehan had turned in the required numer of signatures to qualify for this year’s city council election. Lee, of Chinatown, and Linehan, of South Boston, are the only two candidates in the race for the District 2 City Council Seat, which includes the South End, Chinatown, South Boston and Bay Village. The 2013 race is an exact copy of the 2011 race, which Linehan won over Lee by less than 100 votes. “I am confident that my first six years in office will stand up in comparison to anyone who has held office both as a State or City elected official from the neighborhoods of South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Bay Village, Downtown and look forward to continuing my efforts and improve on my ability to deliver for the people of District 2,” said Linehan in a statement. “As I’ve continued to talk to residents throughout the district, I still hear concerns about jobs and liveable wages, about ensuring that every child has a quality education and about making Boston a place where families can find affordable housing options,” Lee said. “As City Councilor, I will build on my years of service to our communities and work hard to deliver the results that our families deserve.” The next step in the process is for the registrar to verify all 200 signatures for each candidate by June 25th. The preliminary election will be held on Sept. 24th, with the final election to be held on November 5. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Tsarnaev’s College Friends Face Federal Charges in Boston Marathon Bombing
In the days following the Boston Marathon bombings April 15, accused suspect Dzokhar Tsarnaev texted with a college friend thrusting him and two others into the precarious situation of helping the man who may have attacked the city. Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, Azamat Tazhayakov, 20, and Robel Phillipos, 20, looked every bit as young in their initial federal court appearance Wednesday afternoon as their actions in the days following the bombing would indicate, according to the federal criminal complaint against them. Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov each face one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, and Phillipos faces a charge of making false statements in a terrorism investigation. Each voluntarily denied bail and were detained following their appearance before Judge Marianne B. Bowler at John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston. Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov, nationals of Kazakhstan who were in immigration court Wednesday morning because of expired student visas, face a maximum penalty of five years in prison with three years supervised release and a fine of $ 250,000. Phillipos faces a maximum penalty of an eight-year prison term with three years supervised release and a fine of $ 250,000. All three said they would be able to afford lawyers. Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov and Phillipos, who all attended University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with Tsarnaev, are accused of disposing of a backpack they found in Tsarnaev’s Pine Dale Hall dorm room that contained fireworks emptied of gunpowder and a laptop computer at around 10 p.m. April 18. Kadyrbayev stuffed the backpack, fireworks and laptop in a black trash bag and threw it in a trash dumpster near the Carriage Drive apartments in New Bedford where Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov lived. Hours before, after seeing the photos released by the FBI of Dzokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Kadyrbayev texted Dzokhar Tsarnaev and told him he looks like the suspect, according to the complaint, filed by FBI special agent Scott P. Cieplik. It was then that they decided to go to Tsarnaev’s dorm room and take action. “Tsarnaev’s return texts contained ‘lol’ and other things Kadyrbayev interpreted as jokes such as ‘you better not text me’ and ‘come to my room and take whatever you want,’” the complaint says. In court, the stone-faced, soft-spoken suspects appeared in T-shirts, a sweatshirt and jeans. At one point Bowler scolded Phillipos for not paying attention. “I suggest you pay attention to me rather than looking down,” she said. Phillipos, from Cambridge, is accused to lying to federal investigators about his role in the attempted cover up. In an April 19 inverview, he told investigators he did not go to Tsarnaev’s dorm room after texting with Kadyrbayev April 18. He later […]
Gomez to Face Markey in Senate Election
A political newcomer will face a long-time Massachusetts politician in the race to be the Bay State’s next U.S. senator. The Associated Press has declared Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset and Democratic U.S. Congressman Edward Markey of Malden the winners of their U.S. Senate special primary elections, according to tweets from Fox 25. The call for Gomez came approximately one hour after the polls closed in the statewide primary while a call for Markey came moments later. Gomez defeats his more seasoned opponents, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan of Abington and state Rep. Dan Winslow of Norfolk. Markey beat fellow U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch of South Boston. Brett Rhyne of Needham ran an unsuccessful bid as write-in candidate. The general election will be held June 25. South End Patch
Bombing Suspect Indicted at Bedside, will Face Trial in Federal Court
A federal magistrate visited the bedside of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as the surviving marathon bombing suspect was charged with the crime. Tsarnaev is charged with unlawfully using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device) against persons and property within the United States. He is also charged with maliciously damaging and destroying, by means of explosive, real and personal property used in interstate and foreign commerce and actively affecting interstate and foreign commerce resulting in personal injury and death. Tsarnaev remains in serious condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to the FBI. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said this afternoon that Tsarnaev will be tried in civilian court and not treated as an Enemy Combatant. Carney noted that Tsarnaev is a naturalized American citizen and thus cannot be tried in front of a military tribunal, as an enemy combatant would. South End Patch
U.S. Senate Candidates Face Off in Debate Wednesday Night
Five candidates seeking the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by John Kerry will debate for the first time in one place Wednesday night in Needham. The two Democrats and three Republicans vying for the vacated position will face each other in two separate, 30-minute debates in an event sponsored by the Boston Media Consortium and held at the Channel 5 studios. The debate will air live from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be moderated by R.D. Sahl. Patch will be among the media organizations covering the event. The primary election is April 30. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden) will square off against U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston). In the latest UMass Lowell poll, Markey leads Lynch 50 percent to 29.5 percent, according to the Boston Globe. WBUR/Mass Inc. puts them significantly closer, with Markey up by just seven points. The three Republican contenders are state Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. Needham resident Brett Rhyne, a write-in Democratic candidate, was not confirmed to participate, according to WCVB, nor was Independent Jack E. Robinson. The last day to register to vote, change a voting address or change party affiliation for the April 30 primary is Wednesday, April 10. Not sure where or how to register to vote or change party affiliation? Here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of Secretary of State Galvin’s office. South End Patch
GOP Candidates Meet Face to Face, Dems Ready to Debate
Over the past week, Republican candidates in the race for U.S. Senate met face to face for the first time to talk issues and make themselves known in the race for U.S. Senate, while their Democratic counterparts launched their first TV ads. State Rep. Dan Winslow of Norfolk, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez took part in the first GOP debate last Tuesday night at Stonehill College in Easton. In the hour-long debate, the candidates discussed a wide-range of issues including: Roe vs. Wade, gun control, immigration, social security and issues affecting the economy. Unlike their Democratic counterparts, the three candidates disagreed on little, with a common theme centered on the need to fix the dysfunctionality in Washington. Democratic debates on tap While a full debate schedule has yet to be agreed upon – the candidates are set for their first and last debates before the April 30 primary. Markey and Lynch are set to debate for the first time on March 27 at the WCVB-TV studios in Needham at 7 p.m. The last debate before the primary will be April 22 at the WBZ-TV studios, in conjunction with the Boston Globe and with moderator John Keller, also at 7 p.m. Also in the news over the past week: Lynch, Markey launch TV ads Both Democratic candidates launched their television ad campaign. Markey focused on his support for gun control, while Lynch used his first ad to introduce himself to voters not familiar with the seven-term congressman from South Boston, reported CBS Boston. Gomez resigns from job to focus on campaign The Boston Globe recently reported Gomez resigned from his position as a principal at Advent International to pursue his campaign for U.S. Senate. A company spokesman told the Globe he resigned on March 2. Rhyne joins race as write-in candidate Brett Rhyne, former editor of the Medfield Press, is running for Senate. The Needham resident announced last week via his website Rhyne4Senate.com that he is running as a Write-In candidate for U.S. Senate. Lynch calls for raising cap on Social Security contributions Lynch called for raising the cap on Social Security contributions at an accelerated rate. Lynch, in a statement, said he believes the cap should be increased at a more accelerated pace in order to better fund the Social Security system. South End Patch